1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the vehicle monitoring arts and more particularly to a novel modular system for monitoring a plurality of functions and conditions of a vehicle and providing a graphic presentation of Manufacturer Established parameters (MFE) and recordation of torque and horsepower as well as other factors contributing to or depreciating a vehicle's performance.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Automobile manufacturers are constantly searching for means to improve their vehicles and for ways to prove that their vehicles are superior to their competitors. Also, drivers have reached a new level of sophistication, knowledge, experience, and understanding and are eager to go beyond existing performance reporting barriers and limitations. Drivers want to know how their vehicles perform, not only on a test track, but in day-to-day operations, under various loads, both internal and external, on the terrains they traverse and under the weather conditions they encounter. As drivers/owners are permitted the luxury of seeing performance and deteriorations of performance of their vehicles, they will be more likely to take corrective maintenance action. Today's drivers are eager to maintain the efficiency of their vehicles and are becoming conscious that a properly operating vehicle emits fewer pollutants and impacts the environment far less than otherwise.
In general, the fuel consumption of the motor vehicle varies to a considerable extent depending on not only the fuel consumption performance of an engine but also the driving manner of a driver. One prior art device uses a so-called economy meter for indicating an engine load by the intake vacuum, and a drive computer for calculating a fuel consumption per unit running distance or the like. Another prior art device, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,637 to Tomita et al provides an optimum shift timing indicating device for a vehicle, capable of giving a driver information regarding the optimum shift timing, taking into consideration of the fuel consumption performance and the running performance by the use of a small memory capacity, so that the fuel consumption can be effectively decreased.
Other prior art devices for monitoring vehicular performance may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,906,437 to Brandwein et al; 4,551,801 to Sokol; and 4,611,193 to Bruggemann. U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,437 discloses a "dynamic system" and claims refer to such integrated assemblages of machinery or material processing equipment. Such dynamic systems share in common the characteristic of having a large number of operating parameters, such as, temperatures, fluid flow rates, voltages and the like, the magnitude of which must be continuously monitored to successfully control the operation of the system. A dynamic system monitoring device is provided with a plurality of sensors each one of which is adapted to measure the magnitude of a specific operating parameter of the system and to generate a sensor signal voltage that varies directly with the magnitude of the operating parameter being measured. The sensor signal voltage from each sensor is "conditioned" and the conditioned signal voltage is transmitted to analog signal display means which display in analog form the approximate value of all the operating parameters being measured. The conditioned signal voltage is also optionally transmitted to an array of alpha-numeric units which display in numeric form the precise value of the operating parameter being measured. Each of the outputs are displayed individually and do not react with each other nor do they provide a combined output.
The shift timing indicating device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,637 includes a speed sensor for detecting a rotational speed of an engine or a running speed of the vehicle, a load sensor for detecting an engine load, a data processing device having a data map having a set shift-up region and/or shift-down region for emitting a shift-up or shift-down instruction signal so that instruction about the optimum shift timing can be given to the driver with the use of only a small memory capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,801 discloses a monitoring module for monitoring a plurality of functions and conditions of a vehicle including a plurality of sensors for producing sensor signals in response to a plurality of vehicle functions and conditions. The module includes processing means responsive to the sensor signals from the input means for producing display signals corresponding to the values of the associated functions and conditions. The processing means is responsive to the sensor identifying input signals for selecting from the memory means data and instructions for response to the particular sensors coupled to the input means. Each of the sensors and their corresponding processing means are displayed individually and do not react with each other nor do they provide a combined output.